Countries in Europe and the United States are preparing for vaccination campaigns against the Coronavirus, after the encouraging results of the final trials of at least two vaccines, and while record infections continue to be recorded in several countries, Turkey has imposed new measures to contain the outbreak of the epidemic.

Hopes for a cure for the disease caused by the Covid-19 virus were revived, after the American company, Moderna, announced Monday an effective 94.5% vaccine, days after the US company Pfizer and Biontech announced ( BioNTech) of Germany reports a vaccine that is 90% effective.

The announcement of the effectiveness of the two vaccines was welcomed by officials at the World Health Organization and the director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, who described the new news as wonderful.

Moderna and the combined vaccine for "Pfizer" and "Biontech" may obtain a license from the US Food and Drug Administration in the first half of next December, according to Moncef Al-Salawi, the scientific official in charge of the "Warp Speed" operation, which it formed Outgoing President Donald Trump to pursue vaccination of American citizens against Corona virus.

A French government spokesman said on Tuesday that his country is in the first lines to start distributing a vaccine against the virus, starting next January, after obtaining the necessary permits, noting that 1.5 billion euros have been allocated for vaccinations during the next year.

In Belgium, the government announced its intention to vaccinate at least 70% of the population, or 8 million people, and to ensure that it is free for every citizen.

Moderna, 48-year-old president of the French company, Stephane Bantsel, warned European countries that extending negotiations to purchase quantities of the vaccine his company developed would slow down deliveries. He had previously talked about advanced discussions with the European Commission to buy 80 million doses of the vaccine.

Last August, Moderna promised to supply the United States with 100 million doses, and the company signed an agreement with countries - including Qatar, Canada, Japan and Britain - to supply millions of doses of its expected vaccine.

As for Pfizer, it launched a program to distribute its expected vaccine in four US states, including Tennessee and Texas, at a time when officials in President Donald Trump's administration promise to start vaccination campaigns as soon as vaccines become available.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that India and China may start production of the Russian vaccine, "Sputnik V", calling on the countries of the "BRICS" group of remote countries to produce the two vaccines that Moscow said it had developed.

According to the World Health Organization, 42 candidate vaccines are undergoing current clinical trials.


Negative analysis


Meanwhile, it was announced Tuesday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had tested positive for the Coronavirus.

However, Johnson will spend 14 days in self-isolation, which he entered after coming into contact with someone infected with the virus.

And Johnson was infected with Corona last March, and then suffered from severe symptoms.


The outbreak of the epidemic


and Russia recorded, on Tuesday, a record number of daily deaths due to the virus, with 442 new deaths, while the health situation is getting worse in areas where the capacities of hospitals and morgues have been exhausted.

In Italy, the authorities counted on Tuesday more than 32,000 injuries and 731 deaths, and the new death toll was the highest since last May.

In France, which on Tuesday exceeded the threshold of two million infections, and 46 thousand deaths, Health Minister Olivier Ferrand said that the outbreak of the epidemic began to recede two weeks after imposing a comprehensive lockdown, but the government warned that it was too early to announce the defeat of the virus.

While German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the epidemiological situation in her country is still very dangerous, Austria began a new lockdown on Tuesday, with the current restrictions failing to stop the spread of the epidemic.

In the United States - which has exceeded 11.5 million injuries - the outbreak of the epidemic continued at a high rate, as during the past 24 hours there were 151,000 injuries and about 800 deaths, and this comes at a time when several states are taking different measures to contain the epidemic.

On Monday, US President-elect Joe Biden warned that the Trump administration's refusal to facilitate the transfer of power would harm efforts to confront the epidemic, and lead to more deaths.

In other regions of the world, India announced that Corona infections fell to the lowest level since mid-July, with only 29,000 injuries recorded during the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 8.87 million injuries.

Erdogan announced the imposition of a partial curfew at the end of the week throughout Turkey to combat the outbreak of Corona (Anatolia)

Turkish actions

In Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced, on Tuesday, measures to curb the increase in infections and deaths due to the virus.

This came in a speech he addressed to the Turkish people, after presiding over a government meeting in the presidential complex in the capital, Ankara.

Erdogan explained that it was decided to impose a partial curfew at the end of the week throughout Turkey, from 8 pm to 10 am the next day, local time.

He added that all sports competitions will continue without fans, while the activities of popular stadiums will be suspended, indicating that the working hours of shopping centers, shops, restaurants and hair salons will be between 10 am and 8 pm.

He pointed out that the partial curfew imposed on the elderly over 65 will include young people under the age of 20, with the exception of workers among them.

He also confirmed that cinemas will remain closed until the end of the year, while restaurants and cafes will provide take-away service only.

This comes as Turkey witnesses an increase in the number of injuries and deaths due to Corona, as the authorities counted on Tuesday about 4 thousand new injuries, and 103 additional deaths.

In Iran, today the escalating pattern of infections continues, as about 500 new deaths were recorded, while Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki warned that the number of deaths in his country would increase if the measures taken to prevent the virus were not adhered to.


Arab countries


in the Arab world, Jordan recorded, on Tuesday, a new record of cases of corona, with about 6,500 injuries, in addition to 66 additional deaths.

Morocco also witnessed a high toll, with more than 5,400 injuries and 82 deaths.

Also in Morocco, the Anadolu News Agency quoted informed sources as confirming that the Minister of State in charge of Human Rights and Relations with Parliament, Mustafa Ramid, was infected with the Corona virus, accompanied by his wife, thus becoming the third minister to confirm his infection with the disease.

Iraq recorded about 3 thousand new infections and 40 additional deaths.

In the Gulf region, Saudi Arabia counted more than 300 injuries and 16 deaths, while 6 deaths were recorded in Kuwait, and more than 500 new injuries.

And the Palestinian Minister of Health, Mai al-Keela, announced the registration of 1158 new cases of the emerging corona virus and 11 deaths during the past 24 hours.

In the UAE, infections stabilized over a thousand, in addition to 4 deaths, while Qatar recorded 194 cases of the virus.

In turn, Tunisia counted on Tuesday more than 1,300 new infections, and 28 additional deaths.

In Libya, 16 people died from the disease, while tests revealed the infection of more than 600 others.